Golf Club Head Having Stress-Reducing Features

ABSTRACT

A golf club head with a face stress-reduction structure disposed proximate a rear surface of a striking face is disclosed herein. In particular, the structure is an adjustable tension cable assembly extending from an upper portion of the golf club head, preferably a return section, to a lower portion of the golf club head, preferably a sole portion, approximately parallel with the rear surface of the striking face. The cable assembly comprises a cable portion, a hollow sleeve, and a screw plug.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/521,276, filed on Jul. 24, 2019, and issued on Dec. 31,2019, as U.S. Pat. No. 10,518,144, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 15/960,316, filed on Apr. 23, 2018, andissued on Aug. 6, 2019, as U.S. Pat. No. 10,369,435, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/507,640, filed onMay 17, 2017, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety herein.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a golf club head with stress-reducingfeatures disposed proximate a striking face section, and specifically acable assembly, the tension of which can be adjusted, that connects acrown or upper body portion with a sole or lower body portion via ahollow body interior.

Description of the Related Art

The prior art discloses various golf club heads having interiorstructures. For example, Kosmatka, U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,547 for a GolfClub Head With an Internal Striking Plate Brace, discloses a golf clubhead with a brace to limit the deflection of the striking plate, Yabu,U.S. Pat. No. 6,852,038 for a Golf Club Head And Method of Making TheSame, discloses a golf club head with a sound bar, Galloway, U.S. Pat.No. 7,118,493 for a Multiple Material Golf Club Head, discloses a golfclub head with a composite aft body having an interior sound componentextending upward from a sole section of a metal face component, Selugaet al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,834,294 for a Golf Club Head With Center OfGravity Adjustability, discloses a golf club head with a tube having amass for adjusting the CG of a golf club head, and Dawson et al., U.S.Pat. No. 8,900,070 for a Weighted Golf Club Head discloses a golf clubhead with an interior weight lip extending from the sole towards theface. However, the prior art fails to disclose an interior structurethat increases ball speed through reducing stress in the striking facesection at impact, with a minimal increase in mass to the golf clubhead.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a golf club head comprisinginterior structures disposed proximate a rear surface of a strikingface, the structures connecting an upper body portion to a lower bodyportion to reduce the stress in the striking face during impact with agolf ball. The interior structures preferably are cables, the tension ofwhich can be adjusted with a tool.

One aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising abody comprising a crown section, a face section, and a sole section, andat least one cable assembly comprising a cable portion having a firstdiameter, a first connector, and a second connector, a sleeve comprisinga through opening, a sleeve flange at least partially encircling thethrough opening, and a wall portion at least partially defining a hollowinterior and having an exterior surface, an interior surface comprisinga first plurality of threads, and at least one slot extending from aterminal edge of the wall, and a plug comprising an upper surface havinga tool engagement portion, a lower surface, and an exterior surfacecomprising a second plurality of threads sized to engage with the firstplurality of threads, wherein each of the first connector and secondconnector has a diameter that is greater than the first diameter,wherein one of the crown section and the sole section comprises a firstthrough-bore at least partially encircled by a retention flange, whereinthe other of the crown section and the sole section comprises a secondthrough-bore comprising a retention structure, wherein the retentionstructure comprises at least one strut sized to fit within the at leastone slot and an abutment portion suspended within the secondthrough-bore by the at least one strut, wherein the cable portionextends through the first through-bore so that the first connector abutsthe retention flange, wherein the cable portion extends through thethrough opening of the sleeve so that the second connector is disposedwithin the hollow interior and abuts the sleeve flange, wherein the atleast one strut is disposed within the at least one slot so that thebase is received within the hollow interior of the cap, and wherein theplug is disposed within hollow interior of the sleeve so that the firstplurality of threads engages the second plurality of threads and thelower surface abuts the abutment portion.

In some embodiments, the sleeve may be approximately bell-shaped. Inother embodiments, the at least one slot may comprise first, second,third, and fourth slots, and the retention structure may comprise first,second, third, and fourth struts. In some embodiments, the firstconnector may be a first ball joint and the second connector may be asecond ball joint. In a further embodiment, the first ball joint may bepermanently affixed to a first end of the cable portion and the secondball joint may be permanently affixed to a second end of the cableportion. In any of the embodiments, each of the first through-bore andthe second through-bore may be disposed within 1 inch of the face. Insome embodiments, the first and second through-bores may be verticallyaligned with each other along a vertical plane extending parallel withan internal surface of the face. In any of the embodiments, tighteningthe plug within the sleeve may place the cable portion in tension, andloosening the plug within the sleeve may reduce tension in the cableportion. In any of the embodiments, the cable portion may comprisebraided wire, and no portion of the cable assembly may be spaced furtherthan 1.00 inch from an interior surface of the face section along avertical plane extending perpendicular to the face section.

Another aspect of the present invention is a driver-type golf club headcomprising a body comprising a striking face, a sole extending from alower edge of the striking face, a return section extending from anupper edge of the striking face, and an aft end opposite the strikingface, the return section and sole defining an upper opening, and thestriking face, sole, and return section defining a hollow body interior,a crown section sized to cover the upper opening, a cable assemblycomprising a plurality of upper cable portions, a lower cable portion,and a connector hub connecting each of the plurality of upper cableportions to the lower cable portion, a hollow sleeve comprising a wallhaving a plurality of anti-rotation slots and an internal surface havinga first plurality of threads; and a plug comprising an upper surfacehaving a tool engagement portion, a lower surface, and an externalsurface having a second plurality of threads, the second plurality ofthreads sized to engage with the first plurality of threads, whereineach of the upper cable portions is affixed to the return section,wherein the hollow sleeve is affixed to a lower end of the lower cableportion, wherein the sole section comprises a port with a through boreand a retention structure, wherein the retention structure comprises aplurality of struts supporting an abutment portion suspended over thethrough bore, wherein each of the plurality of struts is disposed withinone of the plurality of anti-rotation slots so that the abutment portionis received within the hollow interior of the sleeve, and wherein theplug is disposed within a hollow interior of the sleeve so that thefirst plurality of threads engages the second plurality of threads andthe lower surface abuts the abutment portion.

In some embodiments, the plurality of upper cable portions may comprisesthree upper cable portions, and tightening the plug within the sleevemay place at least one of the upper and lower cable portions in tension.In these embodiments, no portion of the cable assembly may be spacedfurther than 0.500 inch from an interior surface of the striking facealong a vertical plane extending perpendicular to the striking face, andin a further embodiment, the cable assembly may be located within 0.250inch of the interior surface of the striking face.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is a golf club headcomprising a body comprising a striking face, an upper body portionextending away from an upper edge of the striking face, and a lower bodyportion extending away from a lower edge of the striking face, ay-shaped cable assembly comprising first and second upper cable portionsaffixed to a lower cable portion, a hollow sleeve comprising a wallhaving a plurality of anti-rotation slots and an internal surface havinga first plurality of threads, and a plug comprising an upper surfacehaving a tool engagement portion, a lower surface, and an externalsurface having a second plurality of threads, the second plurality ofthreads sized to engage with the first plurality of threads, whereinupper ends of each of the upper cable portions engage the upper bodyportion, wherein the hollow sleeve is affixed to a lower end of thelower cable portion, wherein the lower body portion comprises a portwith a through bore and a retention structure, wherein the retentionstructure comprises a plurality of struts supporting an abutment portionsuspended within the through bore, wherein each of the plurality ofstruts is disposed within one of the plurality of anti-rotation slots sothat the abutment portion is received within the hollow interior of thesleeve, wherein the plug is disposed within the hollow interior of thesleeve so that the first plurality of threads engages the secondplurality of threads and the lower surface abuts the abutment portion,and wherein no portion of the cable assembly is spaced further than 1.00inch from an interior surface of the striking face along a verticalplane extending perpendicular to the striking face.

In some embodiments, the lower end of the lower cable portion maycomprise a ball joint that retains the hollow sleeve on the lower cableportion. In a further embodiment, the upper body portion may comprise afirst through-bore having a first flange and a second through-borehaving a second flange, the first upper cable portion may comprise afirst upper ball joint, the second upper cable portion may comprise asecond upper ball joint, the first upper cable portion may extendthrough the first through-bore so that the first upper ball joint abutsthe first flange, and the second upper cable portion may extend throughthe second through-bore so that the second upper ball joint abuts thesecond flange. In another embodiment, the golf club head may furthercomprise a connector hub, which may connect the first and second uppercable portions to the lower cable portion. In yet another embodiment, noportion of the cable assembly may contact any portion of the strikingface.

Having briefly described the present invention, the above and furtherobjects, features, and advantages thereof will be recognized by thoseskilled in the pertinent art from the following detailed description ofthe invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a golf club head of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the body of the golf club head shownin FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is sole perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is another top perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG.1.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 alonglines 5-5.

FIG. 6 is a partially transparent view of the body shown in FIG. 2engaged with a tri-pronged cable assembly.

FIG. 7 is a sole elevational view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 alonglines 8-8.

FIG. 9 is a side perspective view of an exemplary cable assembly of thepresent invention.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the cable assembly shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a line drawing of the cross-section shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the circled portion of the embodimentshown in FIG. 8, without the ball joint connector.

FIG. 13 is an exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of an alternative embodiment of thegolf club head of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of another alternative embodiment ofthe golf club head of the present invention.

FIG. 16. is a top perspective view of another alternative embodiment ofthe golf club head of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a partially transparent, bottom, perspective view of theembodiment shown in FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 16.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 18along lines 19-19.

FIG. 20 is a side plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a side perspective view of an alternative embodiment the golfclub of the present invention with hinged crown and sole portions.

FIG. 22 is a top perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 21.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a golf club head with at least onestiffening member, and particularly an adjustable-tension cableassembly, that extends between an upper portion (such as a crown orreturn section) of the golf club head and a lower portion (such as asole section) of the golf club head proximate to, and approximatelyparallel with, a rear surface of a striking face section withouttouching the rear surface, even during impact with a golf ball.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.1-13. The golf club head 10 comprises a cast metal body 20 with astriking face section 30 having a face center 34 and a rear surface 36,a sole 40 extending rearwards from a lower edge 31 of the striking facesection 30, a return section 50 extending rearwards from an upper edge32 of the striking face section 30, a heel end 23, a toe end 24, a hosel26 for engaging a shaft, and an aft end 28. The return section 50 has amaximum front to back length L₁ of less than 2 inches, and together, thesole section 40 and return section 50 define an upper opening 22 in thebody 20 that communicates with a hollow body interior 25. The upperopening 22 is closed by a crown 60 that is adhered to the body 20 andencloses the hollow body interior 25.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, three unthreaded bores 52 extend through thereturn section 50 and communicate with the hollow body interior 25; eachbore 52 includes a retention flange region 54 with an opening 56 havinga diameter D₂ that is smaller than the diameter D₁ of the bore 52. Eachflange region 54 preferably has a concave curvature to engage with thecurvature of a ball joint connector 120.

As shown in FIGS. 3-5, the sole section 40 comprises a port 80 extendinginto the hollow body interior 25 of the body 20 and vertically alignedwith one of the unthreaded bores 52 along a vertical plane 90 extendingperpendicular to the striking face section 30. This port 80 includes athrough-opening 82 that is divided up by a retention structure 84comprising a plurality of struts 86 a, 86 b, 86 c, 86 d supporting anabutment portion 88 suspended within the through-opening.

The unthreaded bores 52 and port 80 provide structural support for thenovel cable assembly 100, hollow sleeve 150, and screw plug 180 shown inFIGS. 6-15. A simplified cable assembly 100, shown in FIGS. 9 and 10,comprises a cable portion 110, which preferably is composed of braidedwire or another resilient material such as one or more polymers, havingan upper end 112 and a lower end 114, and a pair of ball jointconnectors 120, 122 that are attached to the upper and lower ends 112,114 of the cable portion, respectively. The cable portion 110 may betinted or otherwise colorized to improve the aesthetics of the cableassembly 100, which can be particularly appealing to a golfer if awindow into the hollow body interior 25 is provided. As shown in FIGS. 6and 8, the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes acable assembly 100 having three upper cable portions 130 a, 130 b, 130c, each having an upper end 112 attached to a ball joint connector 120,which may be accomplished via welding, gluing, crimping, or other meansknown in the art. The three upper cable portions 130 a, 130 b, 130 c areconnected via a connector hub 140 to a single lower cable portion 135having a lower end 114.

In alternative embodiments, the cable assembly 100 may include differentnumbers of upper cable portions 130 attached to a lower cable portion135 via connector hub 140, an example of which (two upper cable portions130 a, 130 b forming a y-shaped assembly) is shown in FIG. 15. In stillother embodiments, the cable assembly 100 may lack a connector hub 140altogether, and directly connect a single unthreaded bore 52 to a singleport 80 (FIG. 14) or connect multiple unthreaded bores 52 to multipleports 80 (FIGS. 16-20). In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 16-20, thecable assemblies 100 preferably have the spacing from one another andthe rear surface 36 of the striking face section 30 disclosed in any ofU.S. Pat. Nos. 9,486,677, 9,597,558, 9,597,561, 9,687,701, 9,687,702,9,694,257, 9,757,629, 9,776,058, 9,814,947, 9,821,199, 9,855,476, and9,889,349, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety herein.

The cable assembly 100 is attached to the body 20 of the golf club head10 by threading the cable portion 110 or upper cable portions 130 a, 130b, 130 c through the unthreaded bores 52 so that the ball jointconnector 120 abuts the flange. Before the ball joint connector 122 isaffixed to the lower end 114 of the cable portion 110 or lower cableportion 135, the lower end 114 is threaded through the upper opening 152of a hollow sleeve 150. The hollow sleeve 150 is a bell-shaped structurehaving a through-bore 153 extending from the upper opening 152 into ahollow interior 154 defined by a wall portion 155 having an unthreadedexterior surface 156 and a threaded interior surface 157. The upperopening 152 is encircled by a sleeve flange 151, which preferably has aconcave curvature that engages with the curvature of the ball jointconnector 122. The wall portion 155 is divided up into four segments 155a, 155 b, 155 c, 155 d by four slots 158 a, 158 b, 158 c, 158 d, each ofwhich is sized to receive one of the plurality of struts 86 a, 86 b, 86c, 86 d. Affixing the lower end 114 to the ball joint connector 122effectively traps the hollow sleeve 150 on the cable portion 110 withoutrestricting the hollow sleeve's 150 ability to move along the length L₂of the cable portion 110.

Once the hollow sleeve 150 is trapped on the cable portion 110, thehollow sleeve 150 is connected to the port 80 by inserting the struts 86a, 86 b, 86 c, 86 d into the slots 158 a, 158 b, 158 c, 158 d so thatthe abutment portion 88 is disposed within the hollow interior 154, asshown in FIGS. 8, and 11-13. The hollow sleeve 150 is then reversiblysecured within the port 80, and to the sole 40, with a screw plug 180.The screw plug 180 has a threaded exterior surface 182 with threads thatare sized to mate with the threads on the threaded interior surface 157of the hollow sleeve 150. The screw plug 180 also has an upper surface184 with a tool engagement portion 185, and a bottom surface 186 thatabuts the abutment portion 88 of the port 80 when the screw plug 180 isscrewed into hollow sleeve 150. Tightening the screw plug 180 within thehollow sleeve presses the bottom surface 186 against the abutmentportion 88 and pulls the hollow sleeve 150, and thus the cable portion110, downwards away from the return section 50, placing the cableportion 110 in tension within the body 20, and effectively preloadingthe striking face section 30 to improve its performance when it makescontact with a golf ball.

The cable assembly 100, when engaged with the body 20, preferably islocated entirely within 1 inch of the rear surface 36 of the strikingface section 30 along the vertical plane 90. Similarly, the unthreadedbores 52 and the port 80 are disposed within 1 inch of the rear surface36 along the vertical plane 90 or in a striking face section 30 to aftend 28 direction. It is even more preferable that the cable assembly 100be spaced no more than 0.500 inch from the rear surface 36, and in someembodiments the cable assembly is at least partially (if not completely)located within 0.250 inch of the rear surface 36. It is preferable thatat least a portion of the cable assembly 100, and particularly one ormore of the cable portions 110, 130, 135 of the cable assembly 100,extends approximately parallel with the rear surface 36 of the strikingface section 30.

The ball joint connectors 120, 122 may, in alternative embodiments, bereplaced with other connectors or structures that function to preventthe cable portion 110 or upper cable portions 130 from disengaging fromthe body 20 and the hollow sleeve 150. The ball joint connectors 120,122, hollow sleeve 150, and screw plug 180 preferably are composed of alightweight, strong material such as stainless steel, titanium alloy,aluminum alloy, composite, plastic, or other such material known to aperson skilled in the art.

The body 20 preferably has a volume of 200 cubic centimeters to 600cubic centimeters, more preferably 300 cubic centimeters to 500 cubiccentimeters, and most preferably 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubiccentimeters, with a most preferred volume of 450 to 460 cubiccentimeters. The body preferably is formed from a titanium alloy such as6-4 titanium alloy, alpha-beta titanium alloy or beta titanium alloy forforging, and 6-4 titanium for casting. Alternatively, the body 20 iscomposed of 17-4 steel alloy. In some embodiments, the crown 60 may beaffixed to the return section 50 via a hinge so that the golf club head10 can be opened and the cable assemblies 100 accessed, as shown inFIGS. 21-22; similarly, and as shown in these Figures, the golf clubhead 10 may also include a sole cover 45 that is fixed to the body 20proximate the striking face section 30 via a hinge.

The striking face section 30 preferably has a varying thickness such asthat described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,448,960, for a Golf Club Head WithVariable Face Thickness, which is hereby incorporated by reference.Other alternative embodiments of the thickness of the striking facesection 30 are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,666, for a Golf ClubStriking Plate With Variable Thickness, U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,603, for aContoured Golf Club Face and U.S. Pat. No. 6,368,234, for a Golf ClubStriking Plate Having Elliptical Regions Of Thickness, all of which areowned by Callaway Golf Company and which are hereby incorporated byreference. Alternatively, the striking face section 30 may have auniform thickness.

From the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinentart will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention andwill readily understand that while the present invention has beendescribed in association with a preferred embodiment thereof, and otherembodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, numerous changes,modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which isintended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in thefollowing appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments of the inventionin which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined inthe following appended claims.

We claim:
 1. A golf club head comprising: a body comprising a crownsection, a face section, and a sole section; and at least one assemblycomprising a stiffening member having a first diameter, a firstconnector, and a second connector; a sleeve comprising a throughopening, a sleeve flange at least partially encircling the throughopening, and a wall portion at least partially defining a hollowinterior and having an exterior surface, an interior surface comprisinga first plurality of threads, and at least one slot extending from aterminal edge of the wall; and a plug comprising an upper surface havinga tool engagement portion, a lower surface, and an exterior surfacecomprising a second plurality of threads sized to engage with the firstplurality of threads, wherein each of the first connector and secondconnector has a diameter that is greater than the first diameter,wherein one of the crown section and the sole section comprises a firstthrough-bore at least partially encircled by a retention flange, whereinthe other of the crown section and the sole section comprises a secondthrough-bore comprising a retention structure, wherein the retentionstructure comprises at least one strut sized to fit within the at leastone slot and an abutment portion suspended within the secondthrough-bore by the at least one strut, wherein the stiffening memberextends through the first through-bore so that the first connector abutsthe retention flange, wherein the stiffening member extends through thethrough opening of the sleeve so that the second connector is disposedwithin the hollow interior and abuts the sleeve flange, wherein the atleast one strut is disposed within the at least one slot so that theabutment portion is received within the hollow interior of the sleeve,wherein the plug is disposed within hollow interior of the sleeve sothat the first plurality of threads engages the second plurality ofthreads and the lower surface abuts the abutment portion, wherein noportion of the assembly is spaced further than 1.00 inch from aninterior surface of the face section along a vertical plane extendingperpendicular to the face section, and wherein no portion of theassembly contacts any portion of the striking face.
 2. The golf clubhead of claim 1, wherein the sleeve is approximately bell-shaped.
 3. Thegolf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one slot comprisesfirst, second, third, and fourth slots, and wherein the retentionstructure comprises first, second, third, and fourth struts.
 4. The golfclub head of claim 1, wherein the first connector is a first ball joint,and wherein the second connector is a second ball joint.
 5. The golfclub head of claim 4, wherein the first ball joint is permanentlyaffixed to a first end of the stiffening member, and wherein the secondball joint is permanently affixed to a second end of the stiffeningmember.
 6. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the retention flangehas a concave curvature.
 7. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein eachof the ball joint connectors, the sleeve, and the plug is composed of ametal material selected from the group consisting of steel, titaniumalloy, and aluminum alloy.
 8. The golf club head of claim 1, whereineach of the first through-bore and the second through-bore is disposedwithin 1 inch of the face.
 9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein theassembly is spaced no further than 0.500 inch from the interior surfaceof the face section.
 10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein theassembly is spaced approximately 0.250 inch from the interior surface ofthe face section.
 11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the firstand second through-bores are vertically aligned with each other along avertical plane extending parallel with an internal surface of the face.12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein tightening the plug withinthe sleeve places the stiffening member in tension, and whereinloosening the plug within the sleeve reduces tension in the stiffeningmember.
 13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body has a volumeof 300 to 500 cubic centimeters.
 14. The golf club head of claim 1,wherein the body is composed of a metal material selected from the groupconsisting of steel and titanium alloy.